The Osceola times., 1887-05-14
A HAUNTED HUT.
Startling Adventure of Hunter in
North Carolina

In the latter part of the winter of
1879 was one of party of eight pros
pecting for mica along the lower slopes
of the great Balsam range in Western
North Carolina.
Trapping was an absorbing pastime,
and more than one of our boys had de-
velopcd into quite expert trappers, but
none more so than myself. Indeed my
success in this line had gained for me
no little reputation.
One clear, cold day, with one of the
mountainecrs as guide and assistant. |
left the camp for the purpose of setting
some traps in different part of the
range from any yet visited.
After a long and tedious tramp
through dense junglcs, and many ardu-
Gus climbs up preciptous slopes and
down again, we found ourselves in the
middle of the afternoon near the top Of
one of the loftiest peaks and good ten
miles from camp.
We mad not intended 10 consume so
much time over the traps. but had be-
come 50 closely occupied as to fail to
note how fast the day was going.
saw an anxious look ovcrspread nv
companions face.
I'm afraid hits gwineter snow he
said, after moments troubled exami-
nation of the clouds overhead.
The words were scarcely out when
several flakes began to drift downward.
Our situation was truly an unenvia-
bic one, on an exposed mountain-top
with an altitude of more than six thou
sand feet, heavy snow-storm immi-
nent, and the nearest human habita-
ton at least six miles away.
We had gone about three or four
hundred yards further, the storm in-
creasing every moment, when suddenly
we came square upon small, some
what dilapidated log cabin in kind Of
hollow or cave at the very base of a
towering ledge of rocks, and so swal-
lowed up in the dense gloom of the
balsams that but for our almost stum-
bling up against it it would have en-
tirely escaped our notice.
With a feeling of dcvout thankful
ness | placed my hand upon the some
what shaky door for the purpose of
pushing it open to enter, when to my
intense astonishment, my companion
drew back with a frightened cry.
"For Gods sake doan 60 in thar"
he entreatcd in hoarse, thick tones.
Hits hanted place. an thar's a
curse a-hangin' over it ever sence Jube
higgins got that bad tux with ther
drink cz ter murder his wife an baby!
Jubc hisse'f TUX ter ther mounting an
ne 7er was heard of no mo-, an tho
sptrit o ther oman an thcr baby's
forever a-hantin' o. ther place an
a-lyin' out. I've heard ther voices
many time myself a-comin' down
thrr mounting"
In vain / tried to demonstrate with
him. Like all the mountaineers, !
found him possessed of no small amount
Of superstition.
"Nothin' good'll come o hit, tell
yr.' he cried, almost frantically. Zone
q t'oiher o. us, mebbe both. II hev
ter go cf we enter that cursed place
He finally allowed himself to be led
int the cabin, although could plainly
sec his superstitious fears were by no
n cans allayed.
1t was double log cabin with a
somewhat large front room and much
smaller back one divided by thin
,.o,.t,t,a,, n,....h,,l IN, Ia, frAnf
there was a loft reached by a ladder in
the back room.
OF this much took note by the dim
light then pervadng the place.
would have continued my invcstiga-
tions but for the intense darkness that
had so suddenly settled down upon us.
caused | well knew by the increase in
the storm. BY means of the leaves and
dried twigs that had collected near one
of the windows, and by tearing up the
old ladder, which we found to be quite
rotten. we soon had fire k.ndled in
the broad fireplace, for we had taken
the precaution to provide ourselves
with matches.
My mountaineer kept close beside
me during all these operations. Indeed,
he did not once allow me to get be-
yond the reach of his hand.
laughed to myself no little over his
somewhat ludicrous appearance and
openly rallied him several times in re-
gard 10 his foolish fears and supcrsti-
tions. But moment later ! turned al
most tsiut with herses ~ ths IRE. bias.